


Take the hint

by JessicaMariana



Series: Jaca Trevelyan [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Drinking & Talking, F/M, First Time, Flirting, Nervousness, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-06-05 00:51:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6682834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessicaMariana/pseuds/JessicaMariana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaca tries hard but subtly to let Bull know that she's interested in something more than friendship, but can he take the hint?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey, are you as turned on as I am right now?”

The question came as expected from Bull. Jaca looked at him from the corner of her eye with a crooked smile.

“Am I what?” Cassandra asked, incredulous.

“That’s probably impossible anyway,” Bull sighed, still smiling.

Jaca reached into the pocket of her long coat and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe off the blood stains from her staff.

“I know I am,” she said under her breath and let out a sigh. As soon as she’d said it, she froze. She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. She hoped no one had heard her. She looked up. Cassandra’s, Bull’s and Dorian’s eyes were on her. Jaca felt a blush rise to her cheeks. An awkward silence fell over the party for a moment, before Bull burst out laughing.

“Yeah, that’s my girl!” he exclaimed. He walked to Jaca’s side and threw an arm around her shoulders, pulling her up against his side. “Let’s get some drinks when we get back. On me.”

Jaca smiled shyly at him and nodded.

 

 

“Inquisitor! Come, have a drink.” Bull set an empty mug beside him on the bar and filled it. “To killing a high dragon like warriors of legend!”

Jaca sat down beside him and looked into the mug. “What exactly am I supposed to be drinking?” she asked, frowning.

“ _ Maraas-lok, _ ” Bull hummed, giving her a reassuring nod.

“What does that mean?”

“It means drink.” Bull laughed heartily and raised his mug, tipping it against Jaca’s before lifting it to his lips.

Jaca shrugged to herself, thinking it couldn’t be that bad. She took a deep a swig as Bull. It was the strongest thing she’d ever had, and it burned her throat as she swallowed despite herself. Almost choking on her coughs, she set the mug back down.

“I know, right? Put some chest on your chest.” Bull chuckled. “That little gurgle right before it spat fire? And that roar. What I wouldn’t give to roar like that.”

_ I bet he roars when he comes, _ Jaca thought to herself.

“The way the ground shook when it landed. The smell of the fires burning...” Bull licked his lips, and Jaca found herself doing the same as she watched his tongue dart out and back in. “ _ Taarsidath-an halsaam! _ ” Bull’s eye moved to meet Jaca’s.

She looked back up at him. A rough shudder shot up her spine.  _ That look _ , she thought.

“You know Qunari hold dragons sacred?” Bull continued, turning back to glance into his mug. “Well, as much as we hold anything sacred,” he added, shrugging. He then reached for the jug set between them and poured up another shot for himself and Jaca.

“Here,” he said, with a crooked smile and a nod. “Your turn.”

“That thing you just said,” Jaca said, tilting her head to the side. “You shouted it during the fight, too. What does it mean?” She’d assumed it was just a war-cry or something, but she had a feeling that that wasn’t quite the right answer.

“Oh,  _ taarsidath-an halsaam _ ?” Bull raised an eyebrow at her and leaned both arms against the bar. “Closest translation would be: I will bring myself sexual pleasure later, while thinking about this with great respect.”

That was a much better explanation than Jaca could’ve imagined. All of a sudden, her heart skipped a beat. Bull hadn’t lied about being turned on by the fight then? She wasn’t alone.

“You shouted that while it was breathing fire at us?” Jaca asked, raising her brows.

“I know, right?” Bull grunted, fisting his hands in front of himself.

Jaca bit her lip and smiled. She needed to let Bull know how much… how much what? How much she wanted to ravage him right now?

Jaca crossed her legs and took a deep breath. Her confession earlier had been a temporary glitch, probably due to the adrenaline rushing through her then. Now she needed renewed courage. She took another deep swig of the drink Bull had poured her and coughed off the nasty burn it left.

Bull watched her set the mug back down.

“Yeah!” he hummed approvingly. “The second cup’s easier. Most of the nerves in your throat are dead after the first one.”

Jaca wiped her lips on the back of her hand and looked back up at him. She wasn’t sure if Bull had noticed her subtle attempts at flirting yet: the licking and biting of lips, the eye contact, the leaning towards him.

_ Am I being too subtle? _ she wondered then, and frowned.  _ Okay, I’m gonna do it. _

“ _ Ataashi: _ the glorious ones,” Bull said, making Jaca realise he was still going on about dragons. “That’s our word for them. Ataaaashiiii.”

_ How much has he had to drink? _

“Damn good fight,” Bull mumbled now. “Dragons are the embodiment of raw power. But it’s all uncontrolled, savage… So they need to be destroyed. Taming the wild. Order out of chaos.” He reached for the jug again. “Have another drink.”

Jaca swept it up in a heartbeat, which made Bull laugh out loud. He raised his mug, some of the drink splashing over the edges.

“Nice!” he cried. “To dragons!” He emptied his mug without hesitation and threw his head back with a satisfied sigh, followed by a series of coughs mixed with more laughter.

“To the Iron Bull!” Jaca added, raising her mug.  _ Take the hint! _ she told him in her mind as she leaned over the bar towards him, her face just a couple of inches from his arm.  _ Maker, he smells good. _

“And his ass-kicking Inquisitor,” Bull chimed in, punching the air. He leaned his chin against the same arm, his face as close to Jaca’s as it had ever been.

_ This is it _ , Jaca thought.  _ This is… _

But just as she was about to close the small distance between them, her stomach gave off a warning growl. She clasped her hand over her mouth as it turned, and had to rush out of the tavern to the back. She was never going to let Bull pour her drinks again.

_ But _ , she thought as she stood doubled over behind the building.  _ With some luck, Bull took the hint, and hopefully something happens soon… _


	2. Chapter 2

The midday sun shone brightly into the room. Jaca woke with a start, her body jerking of its own accord. She growled. Her head was pounding. She rolled over, her eyes closed tightly against the glaring light. She searched for the blanket thrown over her midsection and pulled it up over her head to safely rub her eyes and slowly let them adjust as she opened them.

She took a deep breath, and noticed then that there was something off about the smell of the blanket. It wasn’t hers. Confused, she carefully lifted the edge to peek out from under it. She didn’t recognise the room. First then she noticed the snoring coming from behind her. She frowned and rolled back over to her other side, the blanket tangling itself between her legs and under her.

_..!_

Bull was sound asleep; his chest rising and falling with each breath, his lips slightly parted; the tips of his horns scraping against the headboard of the bed when he moved his head in his sleep.

Jaca watched him in silent shock.

 _What? Why? When? H- how? But- what. No, wait… No. What?_ were all the thoughts she could manage. She took another deep breath, the unfamiliar smell filling her nostrils once more. _It smells like Bull_ , she told herself in realisation, and without hesitation took another breath. It was a comforting scent of fresh air, earth, dry sweat and the faintest hint of leather. It so obviously belonged to the Iron Bull.

A shiver creeped through Jaca’s body, prickling her skin. No matter how much she couldn’t believe it yet, there it was: she was lying in Bull’s bed, wrapped in his blanket, and by the heavy feeling in her body she’d been there all night.

Without thinking, she grabbed the blanket tightly in her hands and raised it back to her face. She tucked it in under her chin and let a part of it rest just under her nose, inhaling the scent of it while quietly watching Bull sleep. She thought back to the night before. It was hazy. She couldn’t remember what had happened after sitting in the tavern having a few drinks with Bull. She remembered something about dragons. Had she gotten that drunk? Jaca frowned at herself. No wonder her head was aching. She rubbed her eyes again and snuggled tiredly into the pillow.

 _I’ll have to ask Bull about what happened_ , she told herself as she let her eyes slide shut. _I’ll ask him when he wakes up._


	3. Chapter 3

Jaca didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, but when she finally stirred, rubbing her eyes and feeling well-rested, she found the bed empty. Frowning, she rolled to her side and sat up. The space beside her was cool when she reached out and touched it.

_ He’s been gone a while then. _

She tried hard to resist the urge to lay back down and bury her nose in Bull’s pillow. It would’ve been a simple thing to do.

Jaca bit her lip and looked around.

_ Just for a moment, _ she told herself and flopped back down into the mattress and rolled onto the other side of the bed. She closed her eyes and stretched out lazily while taking a deep breath through her nose.  _ Oh, sweet Maker. _

She let a soft moan escape her lips. She clutched Bull’s pillow tightly and pressed herself further into it. She lay there for a moment until she realised she was barely wearing anything: just a shirt and her smallclothes. She lifted her head and looked down at herself, confused.

That’s when the door creaked. Jaca hurriedly forced herself to relax, pretending to be asleep.

“You up yet?” Bull’s voice called out to her as he stepped into the room.

Jaca stirred and turned around to look at him. He was balancing two mugs and a plate of bread and fruits in his hands. Jaca sat up, quietly watching while Bull set the plate down in her lap and sat down beside her.

“I figured I’d sneak some breakfast out of the kitchen for you before they started making dinner,” Bull continued. He looked at her, and when their eyes met, he smiled. “Y’know, you sleep like the dead. I mean, you move  _ a lot _ ... but nothing could wake you up. I figured I’d take you down to the kitchen with me, but...” He shrugged. “You looked so serene. I didn’t wanna disturb you.”

Jaca stared at him, silent and unmoving. Bull noticed this and raised a questioning brow.

“What?”

Through the jumble of questions in her head that Jaca wanted to ask, she managed to pick out the words “Did we-?”

Bull waited for a moment for her to finish the question, but when she didn’t he chuckled and said: “Have sex? No. You went out like a snuffed candle. Besides, I wouldn’t take advantage of anyone drunk or unconscious.”

Jaca gave him a faint smile to show her gratitude, but then frowned. She figured she had probably taken the clothes off on her own; she had a habit of doing that. But why was she here and not in her own room?

Able to read this questions, or the nature of it, just by watching her, Bull explained: “You weren’t feeling too hot after those drinks last night. I figure you’d better come up here, where I could keep an eye on you, than let you climb the tower all by yourself.”

“Oh.” Jaca felt a blush creep up her cheeks. No one had ever done such a thing for her before. The thought of him staying up after she’d fallen asleep, just to watch over her, made her heart throb. It was, however, a small relief knowing that they hadn’t had sex. She wanted to remember every detail if it ever happened.

“How’re you feeling?” Bull asked. He set one of the mugs down on the floor by his feet and then raised the hand to Jaca’s forehead.

It was an odd feeling that something so big and heavy could be so gentle. Jaca closed her eyes momentarily to revel in the feeling of Bull’s rough skin against hers until he pulled his hand away. She looked up at him and replied: “I’m alright. Thank you.”

“Good,” Bull said, smiling back. He then pointed at the plate in her lap. “Have some breakfast. There’s fresh water in the mug.” He gave her the second mug and picked up the other from the floor.

Jaca looked at him longer than she’d meant to. He might’ve been loud and unapologetic, but there was more to him than that. He was nice; he cared. Jaca didn’t realise she was staring until Bull cleared his throat and moved to raise his mug to his lips. Jaca shook her head to herself and turned to pick at one of the grapes on the plate.

“Tell me something...” she said, her voice low as she stuffed the fruit in her mouth.

Bull turned back to look at her, wiping the back of his hand over his lips. “Yeah?”

Jaca chewed slowly. She wasn’t sure if she could ask the question. She wanted to, but she could feel her throat tightening around the words. She didn’t want to risk getting turned down. She didn’t want to get hurt. But if she didn’t ask, how would she know the answer?

Jaca plucked off another grape from the cluster and stuffed it in her mouth.

“Never mind,” she said.

Bull looked at her, not sure if he should butt in. She looked like she had something to say, but couldn’t. He saw that she was reluctant to talk about whatever it was, so he let it slide for now.


	4. Chapter 4

“You look lost in thought,” Dorian noted one evening, looking at Jaca where she sat with her hands tucked in under her chin on the throne.

Jaca barely heard noted his words, and only later lifted her eyes from a far distance to look back at him.

“What?” she said in a daze.

“I said you look lost in thought,” Dorian repeated, crossing his arms and frowning. “Is everything alright?” His tone indicated worry.

“It’s nothing,” Jaca waved at him offhandedly. “Don’t worry about it.”

“It’s not nothing,” Dorian insisted. He shifted closer to the her, ready to comfort her if need be.

Jaca sighed heavily and tipped her head against the back of the chair.

“How do I find out if someone likes me without asking them?” she wondered, looking up at Dorian with a face full of hopelessness. She was horrible at reading people’s expressions, and had since long stopped trying altogether to instead just wait for the person to tell her what they were feeling.

“Oh, that’s easy,” Dorian said, relief washing over his features..“Your alternatives are... A: Ask them. Just suck it up and do it,” Dorian said, checking the options off on his fingers. “Or B: Have someone ask for you. But that’s silly. Childish even, if you ask me. Or C: Don’t ask and keep worrying.”

“Thanks.” Jaca replied monotonly with a glare. However, she appreciated that he didn’t pry further into the matter.

“Let me just add this...” Dorian continued. “No one in Skyhold hates you, Inquisitor. On the contrary: most people here love you. You’re a good person. But if this person you’re talking about just happens to be one of the few who doesn’t, well…”

“Do you know something?” Jaca snapped. By the tone of Dorian’s voice, he did know. Suddenly, Jaca could feel butterflies coming to life in her stomach and fluttering about wildly, making her nauseous. But Dorian ignored her and went on.

“All I’m saying is you’ll have another chance with someone else if you don’t give up completely . And if you do; I’ll buy the drinks.”

Jaca reach out and punched him playfully in the side.

“Tell me if you know something,” she pleaded.

Dorian simply smirked.

The prisoner who was to be judged was led into the hall and Dorian left her side. After passing a sentence, Jaca rose from her chair and excused herself. She needed to get mentally prepared before going to see Bull. Dorian was right - as he usually was - she had to talk to him.

Jaca slowly ascended the stairs to her room while cursing whoever thought it a good idea for her to have the tower. As she went up, she tried to come up with ways to guide a simple “Hey, Bull” to “I want you. Please have sex with me”.

 _I want you? Please have sex with me?_ Jaca shook her head furiously and ran her fingers through her curls. _That’s so wrong. What’s wrong with you? Get it together._

Jaca opened the door to her room and walked up the last set of stairs, her eyes firmly on the floor as she unbuttoned her coat and threw it over the railing. She headed straight for the desk, to write some of her ideas down. They weren’t any good, but at least it was something. She’d left a half-empty bottle of wine there from last night’s dinner. She picked it up and took a long swig when she suddenly heard a creak from behind her. Startled, she slammed the bottle back onto the desk and turned around. Bull was sitting on the edge of her bed, watching her calmly.

“So, listen,” he said casually. Jaca opened her mouth to ask what he wanted when he continued. “I’ve caught the hints. I get what you’re saying. You want to ride the Bull.”

Jaca couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Had she fainted on her way up and hit her head? Was this a dream? She looked at Bull in silent surprise, unable to move or reply.

Bull stood up and approached her.

“Can’t say I blame you,” he continued, his eye locked to Jaca’s. “But I’m not sure you know what you’re asking. Not sure if you’re ready for it.” Bull paused only a couple of feet from Jaca, looking down at her, waiting for a reply.

Jaca swallowed and looked up. Bull towered over her, his big frame blocking out a most of the room behind him. He was all she could see; he was all she _wanted_ to see. He was right; she wasn’t quite sure what she was asking, but she was ready. Twenty-six years was long enough. She wanted this.

Jaca felt her heart start to pound rapidly in her chest and the butterflies return to her stomach. Why wasn’t she telling him yes already? He was waiting for an approval or a rejection. What was she waiting for?

 _It’s now or never,_ she told herself firmly. _Just do it - get it over with. You want it. Don’t wait any longer You’re ready._

“Oh, I’m ready for it,” she finally breathed, her voice trembling as she spoke. She hoped Bull wouldn’t take it as fear, but as the nerves they actually were. _This is it._

“See, you say that,” Bull said, tilting his head. “But… you _really_ don’t know what that means.”

_He’s right, I don’t know what it means. How could I? But I want to find out._

“Just take me already,” Jaca replied in a faint whisper. She steeled herself and looked up, to meet Bull’s eye. Her cheeks were burning, and she felt faint, but she wasn’t going to back down now.

Bull stepped closer and reached down to take Jaca’s hands in his. She looked up, surprised by the gentle touch, but then Bull raised her hands up over her head and backed her up against the wall. Jaca gasped as the cool stone caressed her back through her thin shirt.

“Last chance...” Bull said, his deep voice vibrating through Jaca’s chest, making her shudder.

Jaca licked her lips.

“A- a little slower,” she said. _You can do this_ . “And a _lot_ harder.” Her heart skipped a beat at her own sudden courage. She smiled triumphantly to herself.

Bull gave her a crooked smile back and released her hands, and then reached down again. He wrapped one strong arm around her waist, pulled her flat against himself, lifting her off her feet. Jaca clung to his shoulders for balance as he turned them around and made their way over to the bed.


	5. Chapter 5

As she reached up to start unlacing his trousers, he noticed that her hands were trembling. Actually, her entire body was trembling. Bull lifted his hand and stroked it over Jaca’s shoulder and down her arm. At once, she looked up at him and her fingers stopped where they held each end of the laces. Bull tilted his head to the side with his brow furrowed.

Jaca thought it looked like he wanted to say something, but she couldn’t manage to ask him, and she didn’t have to, because he asked anyway.

“You alright?”

Jaca swallowed and let her hands relax to rest against his stomach. She bit her lip and took a deep breath. A nod.

“Really?” Bull asked, not believing her because of the way he could still feel her hands tremble. “You know, if you don’t wanna do this...”

“No,” Jaca interrupted hurriedly. “I… I do. It’s just that...”

Bull looked at her quietly. Her eyes were glued on their feet and her cheeks reddened as the seconds passed. Realisation hit him like a slap in the face.

“Oh,” he said, in a low murmur. “Oh! Really? So you’ve never-?” The pleading look Jaca gave him as he raised his voice in disbelief made him stop short.

“I’m fresh from the Circle,” Jaca cried tensely, suddenly finding her voice. “You’ve met me, haven’t you? I’m not good at making friends. I can’t go up to someone and be friendly. I don’t do that. I’m awkward. Silent.”

“You’ve got plenty of friends.”

“Because they approached me! If this shit with the Conclave hadn’t happened, I probably would have gone home.”

“It’s hard to imagine you being all alone in the Circle. No one ever showed interest in you?”

Jaca shook her head and lowered her eyes back to their feet. “To be honest, I’m not used to this much attention - being the Inquisitor and everything. And I never thought anyone would want to… to be with me.”

Jaca’s hands fell from Bull’s stomach to her sides and she took a step back, but Bull wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against himself. He lowered his head and kissed her hair before letting go.

“You’re beautiful,” he reassured her. “And I want to be with you.”

Jaca felt her eyes tear up and quickly wiped them dry on her sleeve. She did not want to start crying at a moment like this.

“If you want to stop,” Bull began, but Jaca shook her head.

“I told you,” she said. “I want to. I’m just...” she took another deep breath. “I’m just nervous.”

Bull chuckled. He raised a hand to her cheek and tilted her head up. She slowly let her eyes drift up to meet his. Bull smiled softly at her and bent forward and planted a kiss on her lips.

“Alright,” he lowered his voice to a hum, and ran his other hand down to the small of Jaca’s back. “I’m gonna make you relax, and then I’ll show you all the things you’ve been missing out on, little by little. Sound good?”

“Yeah.” Jaca managed a smile back and leaned in as Bull kissed her again.


	6. Chapter 6

Bull slowly eased the tip of his finger in between her soft lips. He paused as he felt it penetrate her. He watched her carefully for any sign of discomfort. Jaca looked relaxed where she lay back on the bed, and a soft smile tugged in the corners of her mouth.

_ Good _ , Bull thought.  _ Not completely new to this, then. _

Fingers weren’t new to Jaca - she had her own, after all - but Bull’s were much thicker than hers, and just one felt like two. Bull pushed deeper, and Jaca couldn’t help rolling her hips to meet his slow motion to get it to go deeper. Bull could reach deeper than she’d ever been able to on her own. 

Bull smiled at her reaction and pulled out to slick up and add a second. That was harder. Jaca gasped at the new, wider stretch, but did not protest. It felt good, even with the uncomfortable fit. She told herself that she would get used to it soon enough. Bull went slower this time, gently moving in small increments to give her time to adjust.

She gasped again when he hooked his fingers inside of her as he pulled back out.

“Just a little more,” he murmured. He was revelling in the way her face was flushed and how she bit her lip and her brow furrowed when he pushed back in. “Still nervous?”

Jaca opened her eyes to meet his and huffed a chuckle.

“A little,” she replied. The butterflies in her stomach had settled, but still, her body trembled with what was to come. She had never been in this sort of situation with anyone but herself before; showing this side of herself, lustful and naked; and being sexually pleasured by someone else. Of course she was nervous. But at least they had already come past the part of undressing and touching each other’s naked bodies. That would take the most time getting used to.

  
  


After one intense orgasm and what felt like most of the night, Bull finally pulled his soaking fingers out and said that Jaca was ready for more if she wanted it. She looked up at him with renewed tension as he sat further up between her spread legs. The butterflies suddenly fluttered back to life. She could feel Bull’s heavy cock resting on her pelvis, and when she glanced down, the sight of it forced her to take a deep breath. Her heart skipped a beat.

“Yes,” she breathed almost inaudibly, her heart rising to her throat. “I want it.”

  
  


_ Oh Maker! I’m gonna die!  _ Jaca sobbed to herself as Bull thrust into her over and over. _ He’s gonna break me - split me in two. But it feels  _ so _ good! I don’t want him to stop. Oh, sweet- _

Jaca let out a long, guttural groan as Bull pushed deeper, stopped, and then emptied himself inside of her. He growled into her ear as more and more hot come filled her. Jaca shuddered in his arms and felt her own, second orgasm rising. She dug her heels into Bull’s lower back. Her legs shook with the strain, but it felt so good. She had to stay like that.

_ Almost _ ... _ Almost.  _ She just needed a little…

Bull’s hand slid down from her hip and in between their sweaty bodies; his index finger searched out her clit with ease and began to gently rub small circles over it. Jaca tightened her grip on Bull’s shoulders, her fingertips digging into the muscle. She tried hard not to shout. It was too much, too-

Jaca’s body tensed beneath Bull’s: her toes curled, her knees pushed against his sides, her hips bucked, her mouth dropped open, and a frown creased her brow. Her body jerked intensely as she pulsated around Bull and wetted his fingers and cock. Her vision blurred before her and she could clearly make out the sound of her blood rushing through her. It seemed to go on forever. For a second she thought she would die. Then her body relaxed and she fell back against the pillows, trembling, gasping for air.

Bull gently pulled out of her and lay down beside her, his heavy arm draped over her heaving torso.

“You alright?” he asked.

Jaca took a moment to come back to reality, to let her body relax, then turned to look at Bull.

“Perfect,” she said quietly, suddenly feeling shy again. She didn’t know whether to snuggle closer to Bull like she wanted to or not. She bit her lip thoughtfully and tucked one of the pillows more comfortably under her head.

Bull watched her silently for a moment. He seemed to be thinking hard about something too. The lay like that for a while, listening to each other’s steady breathing and the wind blowing through the open balcony doors. Jaca slowly felt her body become heavy, and she yawned. She rolled over on her side, facing Bull and closed her eyes. They smelled of sweat and come, but she couldn’t’ve cared less. She focused on capturing this moment; not only the smells and sounds, but the feelings as well; the soreness of her lower half, the warmth radiating from Bull, the heaviness of his arm draped over her.

Before long, she fell asleep - more content than she had been in a long time.


	7. Chapter 7

She didn’t want to think about it, but when Jaca had woken up and found the space next to her empty, her heart had dropped and she had felt that maybe Bull hadn’t felt the same way about her that she did about him. The feeling had stuck, like a splinter in one’s finger, as she’d gotten out of bed and gone down to the main hall for breakfast.

She quietly made herself comfortable at the end of one of the long tables, greeting her friends as they joined her one by one. Dorian sat down next to her, a peculiar look on his face.

“How are you feeling?” he asked while pouring himself a cup of tea.

“Alright,” Jaca said with a shrug of her shoulders. Her body still ached, but all in a good way. 

“Just alright?” Dorian glanced up knowingly, and smirked. “Well, I heard a certain Qunari stumbling out of the tower early this morning. I thought perhaps you’d had that conversation with him.”

A blush crept up Jaca’s cheeks. She tried futilely to hide it behind her cup, sipping carefully at the hot beverage.

“How did you know?” she asked a moment later, quietly enough for only Dorian to hear.

Dorian chuckled softly. “You’re not exactly discreet, my dear. And neither is he. I saw him sneak into your chambers earlier last evening, just before you came into the hall.”

Jaca chewed on her lip and looked down at her empty plate.

“I take it all went well?” Dorian prodded curiously. “Why else would he have stayed so long?”

_ It would’ve been nice if he’d stayed longer, though _ , Jaca thought to herself and heaved a sigh.

“No?” Dorian set his cup down at arched an eyebrow at her.

“No, no,” Jaca replied. “It did. I just… Why do you think he left?” she wondered, and looked up to meet Dorian’s eyes pleadingly.

Dorian hummed thoughtfully and sat in silence for a moment while he pondered. “I don’t know,” he said. “Perhaps you should ask him?”

Jaca groaned. She truly hated confronting people.

“But keep in mind,” Dorian added. “...that it was only your first night together. You’re not in any established relationship yet.”

  
  


Jaca spent most of the morning in the library, thinking she’d let Bull sleep in, but her mind kept wandering, and she soon gave up. She got out of her chair and left the main building for the Herald’s Rest. Bull was up, and sitting in his usual chair at the back of the room with a couple of the Chargers. Jaca carefully approached him from behind the fireplace.

“Hey, boss,” Bull greeted her with a wide grin. “Sleep well?”

Jaca’s cheeks flared up at once, and she hoped no one had taken note of the teasing tone of Bull’s voice. But of course, the Chargers probably knew already.

“I- I’d like to talk… in private,” Jaca said quietly, glancing around.

“Alright.”

Bull uncrossed his legs, got up and waited for Jaca to lead the way. They walked in silence up the stairs to Bull’s room. No one usually went up there, so it was as good a place as any to have the talk.

“What’s going on, boss?” Bull asked as they entered the small room and the door was closed behind them.

“About what happened between us…” Jaca said timidly, looking anywhere but at Bull.

“Oh, that. Sure. What’s on your mind?” Bull replied casually. He watched Jaca as he slowly walked over to the bed where he sat down.

_ You can do this, _ Jaca told herself.  _ You’ve already seen each other naked… and done- No. Stop. You’ve already crossed the more awkward boundaries. _ She took a deep breath and turned to face Bull, while wiping her sweaty palms on her trousers.

“To be honest-” Jaca sighed. “I told you no one’s ever taken interest in me before,” she explained. “Nobody has ever done that to me.”

Bull saw that there was more she wanted to say and patiently waited for her to continue. It was obvious she wasn’t used to this.

“I- I enjoyed it,” Jaca finished quietly, cheeks flushed and eyes on the floor, fingers fumbling with the hem of her shirt.

“I thought I read you right.” Bull smiled. “Ben-Hassrath training, remember? Grew up learning to manipulate people.”

_ Manipulate? _ Jaca looked up at him, confused. What did he mean? Had he just made her feel those things for him to get her off his back? She suddenly felt a sharp twinge in her chest, and a sudden urge to leave, but Bull continued.

“...but when it’s someone you care about, you give them what they  _ need _ .”

Jaca slumped back against the door and sighed.

“Those times you talked about ‘passing time’ with the serving girls; is this what you do to them?” she asked. She didn’t want an argument, but that’s what it now felt like. She needed to be clear on exactly what this was between her and Bull, if it was anything more than one night.

“The serving girls spend most of their day following orders and feeling unimportant,” Bull stated. “They need someone who makes them feel special, let’s them cut loose with no repercussions.”

_ I want that too. So I’m like a serving girl? _ Jaca thought sadly with a frown.

“I let them bounce on top and tell them their tits look nice,” Bull continued. “Everybody wins. I mean- I used to. As long as we’re doing this, you’ve got my complete attention.”

Jaca’s eyes snapped up to Bull where he sat watching her. _ What?  _ Jaca’s mouth opened and closed hesitantly. So, was this serious or not?

“But first, ground rules, just so everyone’s clear,” Bull went on. “I will never hurt you without your permission. You will always be safe. If you’re ever uncomfortable, if you ever want me to stop, you say ‘katoh’, and it’s over. No questions asked.”

Confused over the turn of the conversation Jaca could only manage with a response of a weak “that sounds reasonable.”

“You don’t need to be afraid.” Bull got off the bed and slowly approached her. He reached out and stroked her arm. “...unless you want to,” he added with a smirk.

“So...” Jaca said, unconsciously stroking Bull’s hand in return. “What is this? What are we doing?” She needed to sort this out, to make it clear where they stood. She needed to hear it from him.

“That’s up to you, boss. If you want it light and casual, that’s fine with me.”

“You told me that this is what I needed. What did you mean by that?”

“You’re the Inquisitor. You didn’t ask for the job, but you’ve taken on the responsibility.” He squeezed her arm gently. “You’ve got thousands of lives riding on your decisions. You bear that weight all day. You need a place where you can be safe, knowing someone else is in charge for a bit.”

“I- I suppose you’re right.”

“If it doesn’t work for you, though, I understand. No hard feelings.” He let his hand drop.

“What about what  _ you _ need?” Jaca looked up at him. “I don’t want to be the only one in this relationship who enjoys it. I- I mean…if we would be in a relationship!” she stuttered. “Is this what you want?”

“Hey, I’m good. I’m better than good,” Bull chuckled.

“To be honest it’s a bit unnerving that you have this all sorted out. That you have a system.” Jaca frowned at him and tilted her head to the side.

“Systems are comfortable,” Bull shrugged. “And my goal is for you to get  _ very  _ comfortable.” He reached back up, but now cupped her cheek with his large hand. Jaca leaned into the touch and let her eyes slide shut. Bull leaned down and planted a soft kiss to her lips.

_ Yes, _ Jaca thought. _ I can work with this. I want to. Give it a shot.  _

“So, we’re doing this?” Jaca mumbled against Bull’s lips.

Bull chuckled. “Yeah.”

“Okay,” Jaca said, and smiled as he kissed her again.

**Author's Note:**

> If you wish to spread this on tumblr, please reblog it from me: [lustfullygazing](http://lustfullygazing.tumblr.com/)  
> 


End file.
